I've had a potted tree next to my window for a couple of weeks now, and there's this squeeking noise that it's always made when a branch that I can see rubs against the glass. Great, no problem. Its never disturbed my sleep or anything before. This morning (5 in the morning, still dark)i woke up with my cats on my bed... hiding... and I could hear the squeeking which when from low (stayed low for a bit) then went to high very quickly. And this time I could hear grunting or growling. Clearly something was fighting... I checked my "beloved" branch (that has been known to startle me when I'm a bit high strung) lo and behold, the branch was not moving, none of them were, however, the sound continued. The squeaking (and I think that's a bad term, maybe squeal is a better term) and the growling became interchanged. I laid in bed for a bit because frankly, I just woke up and I was disoriented, and something was essentially screaming right outside of my window. At one point the squealing trailed off... as though the animal had run away, the growling continued for a bit, then stopped too, then without warning the squealing got loud again, and the growling resumed too (so I assume the squealer ran away then came back for whatever reason). Finnally I felt awake enough to begin investigating, I went outside, but found absolutely nothing, its like they both scattered, but then again it had stopped for a bit by the time I was dressed to go outside.

So does anyone have any clue what my squealer might be? The best thing I can compare the sound to was a bird, but the growling definitely wasn't a cat's, maybe a raccoon... and I don't know if racoons go for birds. And if it was a bird, I can't imagine why the sound would have "returned". Oh and I live in California if that helps.

Thanks (I'm really curious)
-Dan

Racoons go for birds eggs, I do know that...